The MBB All-Time Blue Bomber Team: Punter

[TrueBlue4ever]

Sorry about the delay, real life intervened. Polling will close on Sunday at midnight, don't think we'll need that long on this one. Here are the bios:

Bob Cameron – 394 games (CFL #2 all time) in 23 seasons (1980-2002), 3129 punts (CFL #2 all time), 134301 yards (CFL record), 42.9 avg., 95 long (twice – tied for club record), 134 singles, 4/4 converts, best season 46.9 avg. in 1983 (#2 in club history), 11/24 passing, 176 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT., 45.8%, 1 rush, 8 yards, 0 TD, 10 special teams tackles, 6 time divisional all-star (1984, 88-90, 93, 95), 4 time CFL all star (1988-90, 93), 2 time team nominee for Most Outstanding Canadian player (1988, 98), Most Outstanding Canadian player in 1988 Grey Cup, 3 Grey Cup appearances and 3 time champion (1984, 88, 90), CFL Hall of Fame, CFL record 188 punts and 8126 yards in 1988, 353 consecutive games played

Tom Casey – 83 games in 6 seasons (1950-55), 139 punts, 5754 yards,  41.4 avg., 78 long, 6 singles, best season 42.7 avg. in 1955, 6 time divisional all-star (1950-55), 2 Grey Cup appearances (1950, 53), CFL Hall of Fame

Jack Delveaux – 65 games in 6 seasons (1959-64), 227 punts, 9552 yards, 42.1 avg., 84 long, 19 singles, best season 44.8 avg. in 1963, 3 Grey Cup appearances and 3 time champion (1959, 61, 62)

Jack Jacobs – 74 games in 5 seasons (1950-54), 518 punts, 21248 yards, 41.0 avg., 88 long, 55 singles, best season 43.9 avg. in 1952, 3 time divisional all-star (1950-52), 2 Grey Cup appearances (1950, 53), CFL Hall of Fame

Walt McKee – 48 games in 3 seasons (1972-74), 379 punts, 16111 yards, 42.5 avg., 83 long, 13 singles, best season 44.2 avg. in 1973

Justin Medlock – 53 games in 3 seasons (2016-18), 312 punts, 13600 yards, 43.6 avg., 85 long, 5 singles, best season 44.5 avg. in 2018, 0/1 passing, 0 yards, 2016 divisional, CFL and CFLPA all-star as a kicker, 3 time team nominee for Most Outstanding Special teams player (2016-18), 2016 CFL Special Teams Player of the year

Russ Rebholz - 6 seasons (1933-38), no statistics available, 3 time divisional all-star (1934-36), 3 Grey Cup appearances (1935, 37, 38), 1935 Grey Cup champion, CFL Hall of Fame

Mike Renaud – 86 games in 6 seasons (2009-14), 671 punts, 28490 yards, 42.5 avg., 79 long, 29 singles, 4/4 converts, best season 43.9 avg. in 2013, 2/5 passing, 38 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT., 40.0%, 2 rush, 28 yards, 0 TD, 10 special teams tackles,  2010 divisional all-star, 2011 Grey Cup appearance

Bernie Ruoff – 77 games in 5 seasons (1975-79), 621 punts, 27926 yards, 45.0 avg., 81 long, 22 singles, best season 46.9 avg. in 1978 (#2 in club history), 2 rushes, 40 yards, 0 TD, 1979 team nominee for Most Outstanding Canadian player

Jon Ryan – 36 games in 2 seasons (2004-05), 236 punts, 11062 yards, 46.9 avg. (club record), 92 long,  18 singles, best season 50.6 avg. in 2005 (CFL record), 0/1 passing, 0 yards, 4 rushes, 52 yards, 2 special teams tackles, 2005 divisional, CFL and CFLPA all-star, 2005 team nominee for Most Outstanding Canadian player and Most Outstanding Special Teams player, led CFL in punting avg. in 2005 (50.6 avg.)

Charlie Shepard – 73 games in 6 seasons (1957-62), 521 punts, 22995 yards, 44.1 avg., 95 long (tied for club record), 53 singles, best season 45.4 avg. in 1961, 6/9 passing, 101 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int., 66.7%, 1959 divisional all-star, 5 Grey Cup appearances (1957-59, 61, 62) 4 time Grey Cup champion (1958, 59, 61, 62), 1959 Grey Cup MVP, led CFL in punting avg. in 1960 (44.8 avg.)

Ed Ulmer – 99 games in 7 seasons (1965-71), 758 punts, 31668 yards, 41.8 avg., 91 long, 35 singles, best season 43.0 avg. in 1968, 1/1 passing, 25 yards, 0 TD, 6 rushes, 26 yards, 1 TD, 1 reception, 8 yards, 0 TD, 1966 divisional and CFL all-star

[17to85]

Bob Cameron. Close the poll. 

[TrueBlue4ever]

One man's take:

OK, a nice list of names provided by Speed Flex and Stats Junkie to consider, and this pretty much covers the Bombers history of punters. But this boils down to Bob Cameron vs. who anyone will try to pump up to justify bumping Cameron out. So let's knock them off one by one:

Casey - again, this guy did it all, offence, defence, special teams, and excelled everywhere, but never the absolute best at any one position.

Delveaux - punted in the glory years, 3 rings to his credit and a very impressive average for an era when punting was not the specialized craft it is now. Still, no more rings than Bob had.

Jacobs - more than just a spot duty punter, but split duties with Casey, and he is more deserving of consideration in the QB list

McKee - punter in the club's dead era of 1972-74 ,average numbers, never made all-star, so not even the best in his era. Nope (sorry ISO).

Medlock - does a very serviceable job, and has added that funky end over end Aussie rules kick to his repertoire, but when we think of him, we think placekicker, not punter

Rebholz - another jack-of-all-trades player who excelled at many positions in the club's first dynasty in the 1930's. Sorry, they didn't keep stats back then

Renaud - It takes big shoes to replace both a legend and a phenom, so give Renaud props for giving the club some stability post-Cameron and Ryan, and outkicking Westwood in the process. Some solid years, but not in the upper echelon of all-timers

Ruoff - some very gaudy stats here, but strikes against him are (a) his split duties as a place kicker make his punting feel like an add-on rather than his specialty, (b) his greatest success punting came after his trade to Hamilton, so his accomplishments here pale a bit in comparison, and (c) in case some of you don't know, his departure from the Peg was quite the scandal, after he was caught imbibing in the wacky weed (it was a different time - "Reefer Madness", anyone?), and his criminal charge for marijuana possession was a one-way ticket out the door which tainted his legacy here (Jack Wells inevitably would ask after every Bomber game vs. the Ticats "What was that chant that came up every time Hamilton punted?" like he forgot that the "BER-NIE, BER-NIE" taunt was a reminder of how he got run out of town - ah, Cactus, don't ever change, even in the next life)

Shepard -  again, split duties with Delveaux and was better known as a running back, but he is tied for longest punt in club history, and is only one of two Bombers ever to lead the league in punting average in a single season (that's the most amazing stat I found researching this stuff, given that it happened only twice in the 68 years of recorded stats in a 9 team league for the most part)

Ulmer - like Renaud, has some good tenure numbers and very serviceable, but won't crack the all-timer list

So that leaves the phenom to strake his claim. Jon Ryan was way too good for this league, and the fact that he holds the all-time single season average is especially impressive given where half of his punts took place. Unlike the cozy dome in BC where Lui Passaglia first cracked the 50 yard barrier, Ryan kicked at the wind and ice bowl of Canadinns, where his average would dip a few yards once October arrived, the air got colder, and the ball started to freeze. Ryan's average most of that unreal 2005 season was hovering around 54.0 yards, and watching him launch moon shots every time was must see TV. Anything under 55 yards on the fly was a disappointment, he was good for at least one 65 yarder a game it seemed, and it wasn't just driving for distance - his hang time was astounding too. If we are talking the best pure punter to ever pull on the Blue and Gold, he outdistances any challenger, and...............ah, who am I kidding????

Cameron wins this almost on longevity alone. His legend was ensured in the 1988 Grey Cup, where the semi-insulting qualifier of his abilities by broadcasters as the "best bad weather punter" or "best into the wind punter" in the CFL was proven, as his sheer dominance over Passaglia tilted the field position all game and earned him Outstanding Canadian player honours in the big game, the only time I can recall that award going to a pure punter (other kickers who split duties as punter and kicker have won). Amazingly, he never led the league in average ever in 23 seasons (likely because of the adverse conditions he faced at Canadinns), but he was never seriously challenged for his job the whole time he was here, and "The Canadian Rifle" (he was the starting QB at Acadia in his University years for the uninformed), was very adept at the trick play, and was an extra coach for Cal Murphy on any special teams situation. Arguably belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Bomber players (more on that topic when we finish off this poll).

 

 

Edited February 6, 2019 by TrueBlue4ever

[TrueBlue4ever]

9 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Bob Cameron. Close the poll. 

Thanks, King Trump, but I'll let others vote too if that's OK.

Edited February 6, 2019 by TrueBlue4ever

[SpeedFlex27]

57 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Thanks, King Trump, but I'll let others vote too if that's OK.

He's right. If anyone thinks there's somebody else well...

Edited February 6, 2019 by SpeedFlex27

[SpeedFlex27]

I always wondered how Passaglia could really be taken seriously as an all time punter & kicker. He played many games at BC Place in perfect conditions. Meanwhile kickers like Dave Cutler, Dave Ridgway, Zenon Andrusyshyn & Cameron played their games in all kinds of bad weather & cold. He had a huge advantage over all the other guys.

[TrueBlue4ever]

On 2019-01-26 at 12:58 PM, SpeedFlex27 said:

Walt McKee, Bernie Ruoff & Don Jonas. Check out his kicking stats in 1971.  I think he led the league in passing & scoring that year. 

 

On 2019-01-27 at 8:03 PM, SpeedFlex27 said:

Charlie Sheppard is another punter who should be on the list if he isn't.

 

11 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

He's right. If anyone thinks there's somebody else well...

Ummm...........

[TrueBlue4ever]

I kid, of course. But I was asked to put in a number of candidates, and so I did. So to shut down voting right away after one vote (and the time it took to compile the stats) seemed a little presumptuous. But no other punter had a mural of him painted on the side of the team’s stadium. Like I said, we won’t need a full week of voting here. 

Edited February 6, 2019 by TrueBlue4ever

[Brandon]

If I had to pick one guy in their prime it easily would be Ryan not even close...

[bearpants]

It is nice to have a bunch of options to pick from... but the reality is this could've been a two person poll and no one would've complained...

[TrueBlue4ever]

1 hour ago, bearpants said:

It is nice to have a bunch of options to pick from... but the reality is this could've been a two person poll and no one would've complained...

That was my original plan, but don't want anyone to feel slighted if they suggest a player.

[JCon]

19 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Renaud - It takes big shoes to replace both a legend and a phenom, so give Renaud props for giving the club some stability post-Cameron and Ryan, and outkicking Westwood in the process. Some solid years, but not in the upper echelon of all-timers

Iron Mike Renaud. The guy could lay a hit on unsuspecting players. I always felt that he was never the same after the injury or after they made him avoid going downfield to tackle.

I wonder, if he had been allowed (or willing) to continue his downfield work, if he would have rebounded better and remained as effective? Can't kick from the IR, though. 

[SpeedFlex27]

The other guys were great punters. Ed Ulmer was a favourite of mine. Ruoff could really rock them as could Walt McKee. Jon Ryan may have had the strongest leg of all of them.  But for accuracy of placement, being able to punt against the wind, the elements & longevity this really was no contest. Bob Cameron. 

[do or die]

Some guys could out average him.....but Cameron was clutch, in virtually all situations.

[SpeedFlex27]

On ‎2019‎-‎02‎-‎06 at 5:49 AM, TrueBlue4ever said:

 

 

Ummm...........

While Cameron is the best it doesn't mean the other guys shouldn't be recognized for their accomplishments. Some fans here may never have heard their names before.